KABUL, (Reuters) – Mullah Hasan Akhund was the acting prime minister of Afghanistan and called on international governments to recognize Afghanistan’s Taliban government. He stated at a Kabul news conference that all conditions were met.

Akhund stated, his first public appearance on broadcast since September, when he took over the position.

While foreign powers are reluctant to recognize the Taliban government that took control of Afghanistan in August, the United States and other Western countries have frozen millions of dollars of Afghan bank assets as well as cut funding for development projects.

Akhund, along with other officials of the Taliban administration made a plea at the news conference which was also attended by United Nations officials for an increase in money entry restrictions to the country. They blamed its economic crisis and the frozen funds.

He stated that “short-term assistance is not the answer; we have to try to find solutions fundamentally.”

Humanitarian aid is being stepped up by the international community to help address immediate needs. Official channels are often bypassed. Millions of people are living in poverty as a result of a severe cash shortage and an economic slowdown.

Deborah Lyons, UN Special Representative for Afghanistan, spoke as well. She said that Afghanistan’s current economic crisis is a grave problem and must be dealt with by all nations.

She stated that the United Nations was working to revitalize Afghanistan’s economy as well as fundamentally fix its economic problems.

Amir Khan Muttaqi was Afghanistan’s acting foreign secretary. He stated that the Taliban were seeking to have economic relations with international communities.

He stated that humanitarian assistance is a short-term fix to economic problems, but infrastructure projects are needed for long-term solutions.